The cost of living storm sweeping across Britain’s retailers is buffeting companies ranging from e-card seller Moonpig to mattress firm Eve Sleep and the DIY business Kingfisher, which owns the B&Q and Screwfix chains.
It has become the new buzzword in company updates, as the Covid pandemic recedes, while Brexit continues to inflict damage on trade and staffing. A recession looks almost inevitable – according to some economists, we are already in it – as households and outlets from bars to shops buckle under the strain of energy bills, which have jumped mainly as a result of the war in Ukraine.
